<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Two Ghosts by therealbloodymary01</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326036">Two Ghosts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealbloodymary01/pseuds/therealbloodymary01'>therealbloodymary01</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff and Angst, M/M, Songfic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:35:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/therealbloodymary01/pseuds/therealbloodymary01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Post resurrection! AU<br/>Merlin and Arthur are finally reunited, but are they really?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two Ghosts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I never wrote a song fic and I literally don't even know if this can be considered one. It's Christmas, it's late night and I'm emotional. Might delete tomorrow :))</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Same lips red, same eyes blue,<br/>Same white shirt, couple more tattoos,<br/>But it's not you and it's not me,"</p>
<p>As Merlin listens to his favourite song, he realizes how much those words remind him of the guy sitting in front of him.</p>
<p>And the lyrics, god, it seems tailor made for Arthur.</p>
<p>He's staring at the other boy's lips and they look still soft and red as they once were, when he used to constantly daydream about them.</p>
<p>Those same big, blue eyes he had once secretly fallen in love with, now are fixed on him in slight surprise.</p>
<p>They're on a bus, taking a trip to the city. Merlin wants to show London to his friend - actually, just to be with him, it doesn't really matter where. </p>
<p>Since Arthur returned from the dead, he has felt like they are two whole different people from before. And maybe it is true.</p>
<p>"Tastes so sweet, looks so real,<br/>Sounds like something that I used to feel,<br/>But I can't touch what I see"</p>
<p>Yes, it makes sense. That figure standing in front of him clearly has the same traits of his old friend and former lover. However, he still represents Merlin's greatest failure, his eternal guilt.<br/>It's almost morbid how looking in those eyes once made him feel so warm and safe, but now only tightens the knot he feels in his stomach. </p>
<p>Love and regret, forever bonded.</p>
<p>Oh, but it is so beautiful to have him back. </p>
<p>Arthur suddenly tilts his head, locking eyes with him.</p>
<p>He smiles widely and shit, did he miss that feeling.</p>
<p>Merlin smiles back. The song that echoes in his ears keeps summoning memories he thought he had forgot.</p>
<p>"We're not who we used to be,<br/>We're not who we used to be,<br/>We're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me<br/>Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat"</p>
<p>He can't help but agree with that.</p>
<p>Though they are reunited, he's afraid they have never felt so distanced.</p>
<p>Is Arthur thinking the same thing?</p>
<p>He can't guess.</p>
<p>《What are you listening to?》</p>
<p>His voice snaps Merlin out of his thoughts.</p>
<p>《W-what was that?》</p>
<p>《I just asked you what you're listening to on your... pod thingy》</p>
<p>The younger boy laughs. In three months Arthur has had a lot to catch up with, but he still has much road ahead of him.</p>
<p>《'Two Ghosts' by Harry Styles, one of my favourites. And it's called an IPod, by the way.》</p>
<p>Arthur rolles his eyes, mouthing the word clotpole.</p>
<p>Merlin gives him the third finger - of course he has taught him about that gesture - and mouthes back dollophead.</p>
<p>Moments like those have been long conserved in his mind, and being able to create others is a relief.</p>
<p>《Do you... do you want to listen to it with me?》he asks, offering him the other ear bud.</p>
<p>Arthur looks at it skeptical. He isn't a fan of the majority of these modern things, mainly because he struggles to understand them.</p>
<p>But the look in Merlin's eyes and the pale shadow of pink which has just appeared on his cheeks eventually overthrow him.</p>
<p>He gets closer, in order to share the ear buds comfortably. Their noses are almost touching.</p>
<p>《Go ahead, let's listen to this amazing song of yours》he teases him.</p>
<p>Merlin closes his eyes as he listens to the song, hoping it is loud enough in Arthur's ears that he can't hear his heart pounding.</p>
<p>"The fridge light washes this room white,<br/>Moon dances over your good side,<br/>And this was all we used to need<br/>Tongue-tied like we've never known,<br/>Telling those stories we already told,<br/>'Cause we don't say what we really mean"</p>
<p>He has loved that song from the very moment he has listened to it, but never wondered why.</p>
<p>All of a sudden, it's crystal clear.</p>
<p>It is because of him. Shit, it's always been him.</p>
<p>All those days back in Camelot spent driving each other mad, all the nights spent in Arthur's bedroom, they meant way more than what they allowed themselves to think.</p>
<p>And that sudden realization would make him shed some tears, if it wasn't for the royal donkey who shouts "What the hell is a fridge, Merlin?" and completely screws the moment.</p>
<p>《It isn't that bad, I have to admit,》he continues after Merlin has reminded him what a refrigerator is.</p>
<p>《A little too cheesy, if you ask me.》</p>
<p>Merlin chuckles softly, taking the ear bud back from him.</p>
<p>《You know, it reminds me of you》he confesses without thinking.</p>
<p>Arthur raises an eyebrow.</p>
<p>《And why is that?》</p>
<p>《I-I don't know,》he lies.</p>
<p>The former prince shrugs and slightly touches Merlin's knee.</p>
<p>《Isn't this our stop?》</p>
<p>The younger boy nods, and the two prepare to get down.</p>
<p>《We're not who we used to be,<br/>We're not who we used to be,<br/>We're just two ghosts standing in the place of you and me<br/>We don't see what we used to see,<br/>We're not who we used to be,<br/>We're just two ghosts swimming in a glass half empty,<br/>Trying to remember how it feels to have a heartbeat》</p>
<p>Merlin knows they can't be the same people they were one thousand years ago. It would be impossible.</p>
<p>But these two new people they are, maybe they can learn from their mistakes.</p>
<p>Maybe they don't have to live in the past, but look at the future ahead of them.</p>
<p>He meets Arthur's gaze, who automatically smiles at him.</p>
<p>《What are you waiting for, Merrlin? Let's go!》he calls him, stressing the 'r' in his name.</p>
<p>《Coming!》he responds.</p>
<p>Maybe they're not two ghosts, they're just afraid to lose each other again.</p>
<p>Merlin takes Arthur's hand and suddenly it all feels better.</p>
<p>He finally remembers how it feels to have a heartbeat.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>